UN chief applauds formation of transitional council in Haiti
UNITED NATIONS, April 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his support on Saturday for the formation of a Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) in Haiti, which is charged with selecting new political leaders and organizing elections in the Caribbean nation.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Guterres praised the release of a decree that officially established the transitional council on Friday. This body is responsible for selecting Haiti's next prime minister and cabinet.
According to the statement, the secretary-general urged all Haitian stakeholders "to continue making progress in putting in place transitional governance arrangements, including the timely appointment of an interim prime minister and government, and the nomination of the members of the Provisional Electoral Council."
Additionally, the UN chief acknowledges in the statement the roles of the TPC, including its collaboration with all international community members to expedite the deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, authorized last year by the UN Security Council.
Amid a political void, Haiti's formidable and heavily armed gangs have conducted coordinated assaults on various targets since February, including police stations, prisons, airports, and seaports. These attacks led to the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry in March.
Despite the ongoing dominance of violent gangs in the capital city of Port-au-Prince and its neighboring regions, UN humanitarian endeavors remain steadfast in delivering emergency assistance to the afflicted populace.
Recently, the World Food Programme supplied 19,000 meals to displaced civilians in Port-au-Prince and delivered school lunches to 200,000 children in other provinces. ■